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Author Topic: Digital Thermometer  (Read 4290 times)

RPIScotty

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Digital Thermometer
« on: September 30, 2015, 11:56:41 am »
I see many of the brewers here using the Thermapen and I am looking to upgrade to a digital thermometer.

I found this affordable flip style digital thermometer on Amazon and was wondering how everyone thinks it might stack up.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004WE73N2/ref=s9_top_hd_bw_g469_i3?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-2&pf_rd_r=171C2GX7JHZVR9WZM0FR&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=2126165162&pf_rd_i=393284011

Offline Stevie

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Re: Digital Thermometer
« Reply #1 on: September 30, 2015, 11:59:15 am »
Thermoworks has the rt600c on sale for $15. Great thermometer that is nearly as fast as the thermapen.

http://www.thermoworks.com/products/low_cost/rt600c.html

Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: Digital Thermometer
« Reply #2 on: September 30, 2015, 11:59:58 am »
Thermoworks has the rt600c on sale for $15. Great thermometer that is nearly as fast as the thermapen.

http://www.thermoworks.com/products/low_cost/rt600c.html

Beat me to it.  +1 - I love mine.
Jon H.

RPIScotty

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Re: Digital Thermometer
« Reply #3 on: September 30, 2015, 12:07:46 pm »
So the advantage of the Thermapen is speed of measurement I take it?

Offline Stevie

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Digital Thermometer
« Reply #4 on: September 30, 2015, 12:13:07 pm »
Very fast and slightly more accurate. Not worth the extra dough for me.

Edit - thermapens are amazing in their own right, just not for me. While I like Teslas, I'm more of a Nissan Leaf type of guy.
« Last Edit: September 30, 2015, 12:18:14 pm by Steve in TX »

Offline mabrungard

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Re: Digital Thermometer
« Reply #5 on: September 30, 2015, 02:12:42 pm »
Thermapen is nice, but not worth the cost. That manufacturer's other products are much better values with not much lost in speed or accuracy. I own several of their other thermometers.
Martin B
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Offline Joe Sr.

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Re: Digital Thermometer
« Reply #6 on: September 30, 2015, 02:25:51 pm »
Martin posted a couple of their other models on a previous thread.

I didn't get the rt600c, but I picked up one of the others and have been very happy with it.
It's all in the reflexes. - Jack Burton

Offline 69franx

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Re: Digital Thermometer
« Reply #7 on: September 30, 2015, 02:40:19 pm »
Another happy rtc690 owner. Very happy with that purchase over top end thermapen
Frank L.
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RPIScotty

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Re: Digital Thermometer
« Reply #8 on: September 30, 2015, 05:42:05 pm »
Thanks guys. I've been wanting more accuracy than the dial thermometer was offering and the advice helps.


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S. cerevisiae

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Re: Digital Thermometer
« Reply #9 on: September 30, 2015, 07:52:29 pm »
While I will agree that my Thermpen was a money burning a hole in my pocket purchase, I love the thing.  I have found all kinds of uses for it.  I do not know if the other Thermoworks products do, but the Thermopens come with a certificate of calibration.

Offline mabrungard

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Re: Digital Thermometer
« Reply #10 on: October 01, 2015, 06:44:37 am »
While I will agree that my Thermpen was a money burning a hole in my pocket purchase, I love the thing.  I have found all kinds of uses for it.  I do not know if the other Thermoworks products do, but the Thermopens come with a certificate of calibration.

Excellent point. Most thermometers work, but are they actually accurate? Having that certification helps a lot. I don't know that an electronic thermometer can or will shift its calibration, but I suppose its possible. Mechanical thermometers such as dial thermometers are certainly subject to falling out of calibration. Having a certified mercury lab thermometer that serves as a calibration check is still a good idea for checking your 'working' thermometers. I employ that approach.

By the way, my RT600c and RT301WA thermometers both indicated within 0.5F of the calibration standard when they were new. I'm pretty sure that Thermowork's QA is fairly good. 
Martin B
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Offline Stevie

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Re: Digital Thermometer
« Reply #11 on: October 01, 2015, 07:25:15 am »
Certificate of calibration reminded me of this.

http://youtu.be/mEB7WbTTlu4

RPIScotty

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Re: Digital Thermometer
« Reply #12 on: October 01, 2015, 07:37:41 am »
Certificate of calibration reminded me of this.

http://youtu.be/mEB7WbTTlu4

Hilarious. Bravo Sir.  ;D

S. cerevisiae

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Re: Digital Thermometer
« Reply #13 on: October 01, 2015, 11:43:03 am »
Excellent point. Most thermometers work, but are they actually accurate? Having that certification helps a lot. I don't know that an electronic thermometer can or will shift its calibration, but I suppose its possible.

Electronic equipment can and often does drift over time.


Offline PORTERHAUS

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Re: Digital Thermometer
« Reply #14 on: December 08, 2015, 02:22:07 pm »
My digital thermomter is reading 209* sitting in boiling water. I'm in the midwest, so it's not an issue of sealevel. I need to calibrate this thing, but to do it I need to make sure the ice water solution is 32*. I  have been trying to get my glass lab thermometer to read 32* in the ice water but closest I can get is about 33, almost 34*. I'm guessing that is what throws my digital thermometer off. I have the lab thermomter sitting in a glass of crush ice in the fridge, as it sits for several hours and melts and gets cold enough to read 32* that is when I am going to try calibrating my digital thermomter to that. I guess we will see how that goes.